Getting My Beer Judged...

[Dillon D'Adamo]

Here are my questions;
How does one go about getting their home brew judged? I have looked online and the majority of the competitions are far away from my home ( I live in Northern Arizona), or the ones that are close are few and infrequent. Is it okay to send beer across state lines for the purposes of getting judged? Do competitions welcome beers from all over or is that a case by case scenario? Really i would just like constructive feedback about my brew from a knowledgeable individual, and the info online can be hit and miss.
Thanks
Dillon

 

[Nosybear]

For most competitions, you can ship beers. Not sure how to do so, since competitions abound in my area. Sometimes they are restricted, for example, the Colorado State Fair stipulates that the beers must have been made in Colorado. Often they are not. Best place to check is in Zymurgy Magazine, they have a listing of competitions in every edition.

 

[jmcnamara]

I can't speak to their experience level, but I'd certainly assume several people on this site can assist in sampling your beer...

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

For FedEx, UPS and USPS you need to be a licensed distributor in order to ship alcohol. Check if your LHBS is a drop-off point for any competitions. Also check the competition's website for drop-off locations.

 

[Hawkbox]

With Canada post I box them up nicely and then just ship them without saying what it is, what the official story here is though is that they are yeast samples.

 

[ChicoBrewer]

With Canada post I box them up nicely and then just ship them without saying what it is, what the official story here is though is that they are yeast samples.

You know there is a 50% tariff on fermented products coming from Canada right?

 

[Texas Ale Works]

I ship malt vinegar all the time

 

[Hawkbox]

You know there is a 50% tariff on fermented products coming from Canada right?

I haven't tried going to the states yet, just internally so far.

 

[KC]

Really i would just like constructive feedback about my brew from a knowledgeable individual

Normally, this is what homebrew clubs help with. Brewmasters of craft breweries may help you out too. But N. AZ is really sparse and you might not have easy access to either. The AHA has a directory of clubs by state.

Almost every homebrew competition accepts mailed entries, which is weird because it's very difficult to ship alcohol legally. It is not legal to ship alcohol via USPS at all. Beyond that, laws are driven by states. In states that allow it, UPS will ship for businesses with an alcohol contract. Liquor stores, wineries, and some bars often have such a contract and may ship for you for a fee. The AZ law is not very clear for this purpose (few are) and that's why you'll get so many suggestions to ignore the laws.

 

[Dillon D'Adamo]

For most competitions, you can ship beers. Not sure how to do so, since competitions abound in my area. Sometimes they are restricted, for example, the Colorado State Fair stipulates that the beers must have been made in Colorado. Often they are not. Best place to check is in Zymurgy Magazine, they have a listing of competitions in every edition.

thank you
I was thinking about joining the AHA but have been dragging my feet.
Just another good reason too

 

[Dillon D'Adamo]

Normally, this is what homebrew clubs help with. Brewmasters of craft breweries may help you out too. But N. AZ is really sparse and you might not have easy access to either. The AHA has a directory of clubs by state.

Almost every homebrew competition accepts mailed entries, which is weird because it's very difficult to ship alcohol legally. It is not legal to ship alcohol via USPS at all. Beyond that, laws are driven by states. In states that allow it, UPS will ship for businesses with an alcohol contract. Liquor stores, wineries, and some bars often have such a contract and may ship for you for a fee. The AZ law is not very clear for this purpose (few are) and that's why you'll get so many suggestions to ignore the laws.

All good points. Right now I am less concerned with dealing with the legality of shipping and more with finding out where to ship and planning my brew days appropriately. the legality is always going to be a"work around " situation.